This module provides thirty lessons on daily conversations in Mandarin Chinese. It is very useful in helping learners acquire survival skills. The transliteration symbols are in zhuyin, which is the system used in Taiwan. This well-designed learning site is presented in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The thirty lessons are designed in the form of progressive reading and listening. Users can also practice speaking by repeating after the audio clips. Topics include greetings, school, shopping, family, numbers, and singing. Each lesson consists of the following four sections: (1) Reading, (2) Words and Phrases, (3) Review, and (4) Extended Practice. Section (2) consists of detailed analyses of new words and phrases and explanations of grammar, while section (4) helps learners apply new materials learned.
Concerns:
In addition to the sentence-level translations, word-for-word glosses would help learners identify meanings of individual words. Also, there are minor errors in punctuation, capitalization, and tone marks. Since pinyin is widely used by learners of Mandarin, this site would benefit a greater number of learners if it included pinyin (in addition to zhuyin) for transliteration.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The module is particularly useful for beginning learners of Mandarin. Teachers can use it to supplement class reading and listening/speaking practice. Sections 2 through 4 of the module provide an effective tool for independent study. Learners can gain systematic knowledge of everyday Chinese.
Concerns:
The main page of the module should also include titles in Spanish, Portuguese, and French, in addition to English. Since pinyin is widely used by learners of Mandarin, this site would benefit more learners by including pinyin (in addition to zhuyin) for transliteration.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is engaging with interesting pictures and color-coded lessons. Each line of text is accompanied by an audio clip. Both the Chinese and the translation texts (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) are in very clear print. No encoding is needed to view the Chinese characters.
Concerns:
Some links are not clearly labeled. The presentation is not consistent across the different languages. For example, the English presentation does not have animation, games, and a message board like the other languages.
Creative Commons:
Search by ISBN?
It looks like you have entered an ISBN number. Would you like to search using what you have
entered as an ISBN number?
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
Searching for Members?
You entered an email address. Would you like to search for members? Click Yes to continue. If no, materials will be displayed first. You can refine your search with the options on the left of the results page.
